“Oh boy,” Fitz muttered.
“Here we go,” Quinton said.
“He’s going full Julien,” Nathan observed.
“Is that good or bad?” Winnie asked.
“Yes,” everyone said in unison.
I ignored them and pulled up my spreadsheet. “Item one,” I said. “Nursery configuration.”
“Oh God,” Hayden said. “He’s serious.”
“Item two: feeding schedule.”
“He’s really serious.”
“Item three: diaper logistics.”
“Someone stop him,” Fitz groaned.
“Nobody’s stopping him,” Gabriel said, smiling. “This is too good.”
“Item four—”
“Julien,” Nathan interrupted gently. “Maybe we should start with something simpler?”
“Like what?”
“Like... breathing exercises?”
“I don’t need breathing exercises. I need a PLAN!”
“You need therapy,” Hayden said.
“I need help.”
“We are helping!” Quinton protested.
“By mocking me?”
“By being here,” Winnie said firmly. “By listening. By supporting you. Even if you are being completely insane about this.”
I stared at her. “I’m not insane.”
“You’re being a little insane,” Gabriel said kindly.
“I’m being prepared.”
“You’re being Julien,” Nathan said. “Which is the same thing.”
I closed my laptop and took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said. “You’re right. I’m spiraling.”
“You’re definitely spiraling,” Fitz agreed.
“But I need to spiral. Because if I don’t spiral now, I’ll spiral later, and later will be worse because the babies will be here and I won’t have time to spiral.”
“That’s actually logical,” Quinton said.
